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TOP STORIES FOR FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2006 Microsoft Funds Academic Research Ruckus Moves to New Business Model Predictions Offered on Cyberthreats FBI Director Calls for More Partnerships Virus Writers Turn to Apple MICROSOFT FUNDS ACADEMIC RESEARCH Microsoft has awarded $1 million in academic research grants for projects studying Microsoft Virtual Earth technology and the company's Trustworthy Computing initiatives. Grants were awarded to researchers in countries around the world, with a maximum award of $50,000 for individual proposals. Awardees for the Virtual Earth grants will study spatio-temporal databases, routing, computer vision, ontologies, and other topics related to the Virtual Earth technology, which combines satellite imagery and maps to facilitate local searches. The Trustworthy Computing grants will focus on the company's efforts to improve security and stability of its software. Grants awarded for this initiative deal with business integrity, privacy, reliability, security, and secure software engineering. CNET, 16 February 2006 http://news.com.com/2100-1011_3-6040463.html RUCKUS MOVES TO NEW BUSINESS MODEL Music and video download company Ruckus Network is dropping its subscription model for an ad-based model and has announced a deal with Internet2 to distribute content over its high-speed network. Ruckus was not able to attract significant numbers of subscribers under its old plan. Campuses that sign up for Ruckus's new service will pay only minor marketing fees, rather than a per-student subscription fee. Officials at Ruckus hope that by partnering with Internet2, the company will be seen as a provider of academic materials rather than just entertainment, similar to a change made at Cdigix, another company created to provide legal downloads to college students. Nearly 30 institutions are currently clients of Ruckus and members of Internet2. Faculty at those institutions will be able to use the Internet2 network to share course materials with students. Ruckus, which has joined Internet2 as a corporate member, will also use Internet2's network to develop "new content-distribution and authentication technologies," according to Lauren Rotman, media-relations manager for Internet2. Chronicle of Higher Education, 17 February 2006 (sub. req'd) http://chronicle.com/daily/2006/02/2006021702t.htm PREDICTIONS OFFERED ON CYBERTHREATS The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA) have issued a set of warnings about the kinds of cyberthreats the two organizations anticipate will be on the rise in 2006. Officials involved said the list of predictions is intended to raise awareness of computer threats in the hope that users will better protect themselves. "Arming consumers with a list of emerging threats is just the first step to educating consumers about the ever-evolving online security environment," said Ron Teixeira, executive director of the NCSA. The four areas identified in the list are instant-messaging viruses and worms, phishing, cell-phone and PDA viruses, and attacks on online brokerage accounts. Included with the warnings was acknowledgment that many computer crimes are not reported, complicating the task of tracking them. The agencies provided a number of strategies consumers can use to minimize their risks of being victimized. Yahoo, 16 February 2006 http://news.yahoo.com/s/nf/20060216/tc_nf/41677 FBI DIRECTOR CALLS FOR MORE PARTNERSHIPS Speaking at the RSA Conference this week, FBI Director Robert Mueller called for more partnerships among law enforcement agencies, the private sector, and colleges and universities. Mueller characterized cyberspace as a "largely unprotected frontier with seemingly limitless opportunity," noting that much of that opportunity is exploited by criminals. He said the changing landscape of technology infrastructure makes traditional jurisdictional boundaries obsolete. The FBI now includes a division created in 2002 that focuses exclusively on cybersecurity, and each of the bureau's 56 field offices includes a squad that deals with computer crimes. The FBI has a number of existing programs coordinated with private-sector organizations, but those partnerships need to expand, Mueller said. Federal Computer Week, 16 February 2006 http://www.fcw.com/article92354-02-16-06-Web VIRUS WRITERS TURN TO APPLE A new computer virus that targets the Apple OS X operating system has been identified. Although the malicious code is not sophisticated--it requires users to "download the application and execute the resulting file," according to Apple--and has been labeled a low-level threat by McAfee and Symantec, it may represent the first virus in circulation that attacks users of Apple's operating system. Ray Wagner of Gartner said that the virus is "not really news" except that it is "the first OS X malicious content in the wild that's been noted at this point." The bug spreads primarily by sending itself through Apple's iChat instant messaging program to those on an infected computer's buddy list. Several security firms have updated their threat profiles to include the new virus. ZDNet, 16 February 2006 http://news.zdnet.com/2100-1009_22-6040681.html ***************************************************** EDUPAGE INFORMATION To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your settings, or access the Edupage archive, visit http://www.educause.edu/Edupage/639 Or, you can subscribe or unsubscribe by sending e-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] To SUBSCRIBE, in the body of the message type: SUBSCRIBE Edupage YourFirstName YourLastName To UNSUBSCRIBE, in the body of the message type: SIGNOFF Edupage If you have subscription problems, send e-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] ***************************************************** OTHER EDUCAUSE RESOURCES The EDUCAUSE Resource Center is a repository for information concerning use and management of IT in higher education. 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